Parents across Canada are increasingly choosing independent schools over government schools for their children, according to a new study by the Fraser Institute.
Released on April 26, the study says the share of K-12 students enrolled at independent schools across the country increased in every province over a 19-year span, while the share of those enrolled in government schools declined.
The findings were based on enrolment data obtained from provinces between the period of 2000/01 and 2019/20. The study defines independent schools as those characterized by alternative approaches to teaching with a “distinct academic focus or religious orientation.”
In the 19-year period, independent school enrolment, as a share of total enrolment, rose from 8.7 percent to 13.2 percent in British Columbia, 4.1 percent to 4.3 percent in Alberta, 1.2 percent to 2.8 percent in Saskatchewan, and 6.8 percent to 8 percent in Manitoba….